Kalkbrenner Named A Candidate For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award
2/10/2023 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Award is given to the nation's best center
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — The Basketball Hall of Fame announced the Top 10 candidates for the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its ninth year recognizes the top center in Division I men's college basketball.
2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Candidates*
Oumar Ballo, Arizona
Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Adama Sanogo, Connecticut
Zach Edey, Purdue
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Cliff Omoruyi, Rutgers
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Joel Soriano, St. John's
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Jack Nunge, Xavier
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2022-2023 season.
A junior from Florissant, Mo., Kalkbrenner leads No. 23 Creighton with 15.2 points per game. He ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage (.724) and 14th with 2.33 blocked shots per game. Kalkbrenner was named a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection and is one of 15 men on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
Four of the 10 candidates for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award hail from the BIG EAST.
Fans can support their favorite players in the remaining rounds by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting today on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward) and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award are Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (2022), Luka Garza, Iowa (2020, '21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
For more information on the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #KareemAward on Twitter and Instagram.
2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Candidates*
Oumar Ballo, Arizona
Armando Bacot, North Carolina
Adama Sanogo, Connecticut
Zach Edey, Purdue
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
Cliff Omoruyi, Rutgers
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Joel Soriano, St. John's
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Jack Nunge, Xavier
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2022-2023 season.
A junior from Florissant, Mo., Kalkbrenner leads No. 23 Creighton with 15.2 points per game. He ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage (.724) and 14th with 2.33 blocked shots per game. Kalkbrenner was named a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection and is one of 15 men on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
Four of the 10 candidates for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award hail from the BIG EAST.
Fans can support their favorite players in the remaining rounds by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting today on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward) and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award are Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (2022), Luka Garza, Iowa (2020, '21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).
For more information on the 2023 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #KareemAward on Twitter and Instagram.
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